World's Oldest Artwork Found in Indonesia Cave Is at Least 51,200 Years Old

The discovery of a flaking image of three human-like figures around a large red pig in a cave in Indonesia marks the world's oldest known narrative artwork, dating back 51,200 years.

Novel Laser Technique Unearths an Ancient Artwork

AFP reported that the team, led by Maxime Aubert, an archaeologist at Australia's Griffith University, identified this ancient artwork using a novel laser technique.

Aubert noted that this find surpasses previous records, including a hunting scene discovered in an Indonesian cave in 2019, estimated to be around 44,000 years old.

The discovery pushes back the timeline of sophisticated human expression in art, suggesting that storytelling has been a part of human culture for much longer than previously thought.

To date the artwork, the researchers employed a new method involving lasers and computer software to create a precise map of rock samples. This laser ablation technique proved more accurate, quicker, and cost-effective than the previous uranium series method.

When testing this new approach on the earlier record-holding artwork, they found it to be at least 48,000 years old, 4,000 years older than previously determined.

The new laser method was applied to an undated painting discovered in a cave on Indonesia's Sulawesi island in 2017. The results revealed the painting to be at least 51,200 years old, thus setting a new record.

Although the painting was found to be in poor condition, the researchers were still able to identify three human-like figures surrounding a wild pig.

Where Did These Ancient Paintings Come From?

While the exact activities of the figures remain speculative, Aubert suggests that these paintings were likely created by the first humans who migrated through Southeast Asia before reaching Australia around 65,000 years ago.

The discovery raises intriguing questions about the early use of art in human societies. Humans first evolved in Africa more than 300,000 years ago, and the earliest known images made by humans are simple lines and patterns in ochre in South Africa, dating back 100,000 years.

However, there was a vast gap between human art and Indonesian cave paintings, which emerged 50,000 years later. Aubert pondered why such ancient art is not more widespread, speculating that artwork elsewhere might not have survived or that more ancient art is yet to be unearthed.

The earlier belief was that narrative art first appeared in Europe. The "lion man" statue, discovered in Germany and dated back to around 40,000 years ago, was thought to be among the earliest examples.

The much older date given for the Indonesian cave art challenges this view, suggesting that representational art might have originated in Africa before 50,000 years ago and spread as humans migrated.

Chris Stringer, an anthropologist at London's Natural History Museum who was not involved in the research, told AFP that the findings appear solid but need further confirmation through additional dating. He suggested that this discovery supports the idea that representational art began in Africa and spread with human migration.